Prayer: Essential for Spiritual Victory

Ephesians 6:18–20 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, 

"Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. 

The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.

The following quote is attributed to John Wesley:

"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer." 

We talked about how we can be victorious soldiers in Christ last Sunday. Beginning at Ephesians 6:10, Paul used the imagery of the Roman soldier to illustrate how the Christian is protected and armed against evil spiritual forces.

The Christian wears the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the sandals of readiness from the gospel of peace. He wears the shield of faith on one arm, the helmet of salvation on his head, and holds the sword of the Spirit with his other hand.

Thus equipped, you might think the Christian soldier is ready to do battle, right?

(pause)

But Paul’s final instruction to the Christian soldier was to pray. In other words, Paul was saying that being armed with these various pieces of the armor of God is not enough.

Let us focus on the importance of prayer for spiritual victory this evening.

Big Idea: Prayer is essential for the Christian to achieve spiritual victory.

Consider how the apostle Paul instructs us to pray in our text.

We should pray constantly, v. 18.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit…

Prayer is like the communications lines on the battlefield. Often, in the midst of a battle, conditions change quickly.

One flank may have been positioned properly at the beginning of the battle, but due to enemy’s movements, that flank could soon be in serious trouble unless it is repositioned.

Sometimes, the army will suffer terrible casualties due to friendly fire. Due to a failure to communicate, the army fires on its own men. By remaining in prayer constantly, we can ensure that we are in God’s will. We can be used profitably by Christ.

On the other hand, when we fail to pray constantly, our understanding of God’s will for us begins to fade. We begin to operate on our own initiative instead of in accordance to God’s Word. And we can get into trouble quickly.

Consider the life of Corrie ten Boom, who, during World War II, sheltered Jews from Nazi persecution. Her faith was tested in imprisonment, yet she prayed constantly, finding refuge in God's presence even in the harshest conditions.

Ten Boom exemplified how prayer can be our lifeline, providing hope and peace amid chaos. Her life story encourages us to steadfastly maintain our prayer lives, regardless of the hardships we face.

2. We should pray in the Spirit, v. 18.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary says that

“to pray in the Spirit is to rely upon His helpful control and intercession as we speak to God.”

Romans 8:26–27 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Sometimes, when we pray, it seems like the heavens are made of brass. But we can know that the Holy Spirit knows what we need even better than we do.

He is more than willing to intercede on our behalf. And, the Holy Spirit can reveal to us what God’s will is. Therefore, we should seek His help and intercession when we pray.

In ancient times, during war, messages were delivered through messengers who sometimes had to run miles to convey important news.

One messenger, who was particularly fast, brought good news that changed the battle’s outcome. When we pray in the Spirit, it’s like sending a swift message to God, a direct line that bypasses confusion and miscommunication.

Our prayers become a powerful message to the heavens, cutting through the chaos just as those ancient messengers did!

3. We should pray with perseverance.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance…

Maybe this instruction seems ironic. After all, isn’t it when we pray that we have the hardest time to stay awake and alert?

Some have encouraged us when we cannot sleep to pray - for surely the devil won’t like that and he will make sure we can sleep.

(pause)

So often, when we start to pray we begin to daydream about all sorts of things. Even the eleven disciples were not immune to this.

On Jesus’ final night before His crucifixion He took them the Garden of Gethsemane and implored them to watch and pray with Him. Yet the disciples repeatedly fell asleep until they were awakened to discover Jesus was being betrayed.

But this is no excuse for us not to follow the command of our scripture. How often have battles and wars been lost because the guard has been sleeping instead of watching faithfully?

Our enemy is very experienced in spiritual warfare. He has a number of battle tactics he has practiced to perfection. He knows your weaknesses. And he is a dirty fighter. He is more than willing to exploit any weakness you have.

Now is not the time to allow our eyes to droop with sleepiness. Now is not the time to give up on prayer as too difficult an exercise. Rather, we should commit again to pray with perseverance.

Evagrius of Pontus, who died in A.D. 399 said, “Blessed are you, if the struggle grows fierce against you at the time of prayer.”

"One day George Muller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. 

"Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved."

4. We should pray for one another, vv. 18-20.

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Then in verses nineteen and twenty Paul asks the Ephesians believers to specifically pray for him that he would have wisdom and boldness in proclaiming the Gospel.

Maybe you have heard the song that says:

Somebody’s prayin’

I can feel it

Somebody’s prayin’ for me

Mighty hands are guiding me

To protect me from what I can’t see

Lord, I believe

Lord, I believe

Somebody’s praying for me.

Well, I’ve walked the barren wildnerness

Where my pillow was a stone

And I’ve been through the darkest caverns

Where no light had ever shone

Still I went on because there was someone

Who was down on their knees

Lord, I thank you for those people

Prayin’ all this time for me.

It feels really good to think and especially, to know, that someone out there is praying for you, doesn’t it? Thank God for those who have prayed for us. Yet we should not be content just in allowing others to pray for us. Instead, we should join in praying for others also.

Sometimes we can almost become overwhelmed by our own problems. It is all we can think about. I would not suggest that these problems are insignificant.

Yet, when we consider and learn the problems of others, often our own problems do seem trivial. As Christians we are part of a huge body - the Body of Christ. We are part of God’s family. We belong to God’s army. We are not individual warriors fighting our own little battle.

We belong to a great army fighting a war with cosmic proportions. Let us therefore, intercede to God on the behalf of all the saints as well as ourselves.

In the 1800s, a woman named Phoebe Palmer began hosting ‘Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness,’ praying for others with friends. It wasn’t formal, just earnest hearts seeking God for their community. Her home became a haven, and the prayers sparked a revival! It’s a joy to think that praying for others can lead to such transformative moments in our world; who knows what can happen when our hearts unite?

Consider the example also of Fanny Crosby…

Did you know the famous hymn writer Fanny J. Crosby was known for praying for her friends by name? Despite being blind since infancy, she could see the power of prayer vividly. She believed that prayer was the light that allowed her to envision the best in others. Her simple prayers inspired many uplifting hymns and connected people in beautiful ways! It showcases how we can uplift others through prayer, even when there seems to be darkness around us.

Beacon Bible Commentary says,

The participle praying is connect with all the foregoing commands [to put on the armor of God]. Foulkes suggests that the apostle is saying in effect, 

“Each piece put on with prayer, and then continue still in all prayer and supplication.”The Christian soldier can stand true, successfully resisting his spiritual foes, only as he remains in the spirit of prayer, ready always to lay his needs before the Lord. (p. 267)

True story. A Christian leader -- we'll call him Steve --was traveling [some time ago by plane. He noticed that the man sitting two seats over was thumbing through some little cards and moving his lips. 

The man looked professorial with his goatee and graying brown hair, and Steve placed him at fifty-something. Guessing the man was a fellow-believer, Steve leaned over to engage him in conversation. 

"Looks to me like you're memorizing something," he said. "No, actually I was praying," the man said. Steve introduced himself. "I believe in prayer too," he said. 

"Well, I have a specific assignment," said the man with the goatee.

"What's that?" Steve asked. 

"I'm praying for the downfall of Christian pastors."

(pause)

"I would certainly fit into that category," Steve said. "Is my name on the list?"

(pause)

"Not on my list," the man replied.

Maybe we forget at times how real the spiritual conflict is. We must not! Satan wishes to destroy us! We must be prepared for battle. Yes, we must wear the Christian armor we talked about last week, but there is something else vitally important in order to gain victory.

Prayer to God is essential for the Christian to achieve spiritual victory. How is your prayer life these days? Will your prayer life sustain you spiritually or is your prayer life a weak spot the devil can exploit to separate your from your Commander?

I challenge you to pray - pray constantly, pray in the Spirit, pray with perseverance, and pray for one another.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "Prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk at the rope. But he who communicates with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously with all his might."